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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · bark · fan · safe · court · wake · lie · can

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lie — to recline
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — of a king
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — for sport
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of law
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com